Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the possibilities and determination of hot and warm forging of ultrahigh-strength steel 300M and subsequent quenching with accelerated air. Analysis of microstructure and mechanical properties of forged steel 300M focused on investigation of the effect of processing conditions on final properties, such as strength, impact strength and hardness, taking into consideration temperature gradients and within-part strain nonuniformity occurring in forging and direct cooling of aircraft landing gear. Design/methodology/approach: The research involved semi-industrial physical modeling of hot deformation and direct cooling, aided with numerical analysis of both deformation and kinetics of phase transformations on cooling, with process conditions determined on the basis of numerical simulation of industrial process. Examination of forged and quench-tempered samples involved testing mechanical properties (tensile properties, hardness and impact strength) and microstructure. Findings: Three major findings were arrived at: first, assessment of the effects of energy-saving method of cooling conducted directly after forging. Second, tensile properties, hardness and impact strength, were analyzed on the background of microstructure evolution during hot-forging and direct cooling; hence, applied temperature and cooling rates refer to actual condition of the material including varied deformation history. Third, the accelerated air cooling tests were carried out directly after forging with accurately measured and described cooling efficiency, which enabled the acquisition of data for heat treatment simulation with use of untypical cooling media. Research limitations/implications: The conclusions formulated on the strenght of studies carried out in semi-industrial conditions with the use of model samples, despite strain and strain rate similarity, wait for full-scale verification in industrial conditions. The direct cooling tests carried out in semi-industrial conveyor Quenchtube are of cognitive value. Industrial realization of the process for the analyzed part calls for special construction of the cooling line and provision of higher cooling rate for heavy sections. Practical implications: The results present microstructure properties’ relations for good-hardenability grade of steel, which is representative of several similar grades used in aircraft industry, which can support design of heat treatment (HT) cycles for similar parts, regardless of whether direct or conventional quenching is used. As they illustrate as-forged and direct-cooled microstructure and resultant mechanical properties, the studies concerning processing the steel of areas of lower temperature are transferable to warm forging processes of medium-carbon alloy steels. The geometry of the part analyzed in the case study is typical of landing gear of many aircrafts; hence, there is the high utility of the results and conclusions. Social implications: The direct heat treatment technologies based on utilization of the heat attained in the part after forging allow significant energy savings, which besides cost-effectiveness go along with ecological considerations, especially in the light of CO₂ emission reduction, improving economical balance and competitiveness. The presented results may encourage forgers to use direct cooling, making use of the heat attained in metal after hot forging, for applications to promote environmentally friendly heat treatment-related technologies. Originality/value: Direct heat treatment typically seems to be reserved for micro alloyed steel grades and sections small enough for sufficient cooling rates. In this light, taking advantage of the heat attained in forged part for energy-saving method of cooling based on direct quenching as an alternative to traditional Q&T treatment used with application to relatively heavy sections is not common. Moreover, in case the warm-work range is reached in any portion of the forged part, effect of direct cooling on warm-forged material is addressed, which is a unique issue to be found in the related studies, whereas in addition to warm forging processes, the results can be transferable to coining, sizing or shot peening operations, where gradient of properties is expected.

The paper presents the methodology of determination of emissivity coefficient of steel in the direct cooling temperature range, which allow self-definition of this parameter in automated temperature control system used for direct cooling of drop-forged parts. Based on the actual temperature of the surface of the workpiece, the system automatically adjusts the velocity of fan-forced air to produce desired cooling rate and course of cooling curves. To enable automatic correction of cooling rate, the system must rely on exact remote temperature measurements. This is conditioned by correct definition of emissivity in pyrometer gauge system. Traditionally, pyrometers use presets of a constant value, selected as to get optimum consistency for the temperature range concerned. As the emissivity is time-dependent, the idea of the approach presented in the paper is to use time dependent characteristics, to attain the minimum discrepancy between actual and measured values during the whole cooling cycle.

Estimation of the cooling efficiency of an accelerated air for the needs of cooling of die forgings is presented. Temperature dependence of heat transfer coefficient (HTC) was calculated for different cooling conditions varied by airflow velocity, covering the range from 18 to 48 m/s. Time–temperature measurements performed on a full-scale semi-industrial cooling line provided similarity to conditions typical of industrial conveyor, which gives the results utilitarian significance in design of controlled processing (of steel forged products). Acquired HTC values, ranging from 164.7 to 298 W/m² · K, were validated in numerical simulation of cooling complex-shape forgings and subject to experimental verification, indicating perfect agreement with physical measurements.

Effect of plastic processing and controlled cooling on microstructure and mechanical properties of experimental steel grades with microalloyed with Ti, V and/or Nb, varying in the content of Mo is presented as an offer for mining industry for replacement traditionally heat-treatable hardenability grades. The goal of the work is producing microstructure condition, which after controlled hot forging and direct heat treatment, involving quenching and self-tempering, are meant to provide good combination of mechanical properties, such as TYS 800 MPa, UTS 1050 MPa, elongation to fracture at least A5 15% and/or impact strength at room temperature KCV 60 J/cm². Hardenability assessment and dilatometric examination allowed formulation of direct heat treatment guidelines, taking into consideration fields of temperature and strain in a typical hot forging process, estimated numerically, with the use of plastometric tests results, as well as the use of unique cooling cycles after forging. On the basis of numerical analysis of thermomechanical parameters and temperature progression, hot forging and direct cooling conditions were selected to achieve assumed structural components, morphology and dispersion of both grain and precipitates. For established heat transfer model and experimentally plotted cooling curves numerical analysis of direct cooling, enabled by definition of characteristic points of austenite transformation and CCT diagrams was conducted. The modeling aided with dilatometric characterization enabled prediction of transformation products distribution. The formulated conclusions were verified in the experimental sampling of forging, evaluating the applicability of designed combinations of chemical composition and cooling cycle for selected forged part for mining industry.